Game Of Life
by Emmiline-Zahara-Rose
Summary: 'Your best friend she had said to you and you believed her.' Hermione has had to deal with much heartbreak and pain ever since she made friends with Harry Potter but this time it seems she has been pushed too far. This is her journey to get back on the winning side, to regain her position as a player of the game. This time she will come out on top.


AS you sit in the dark corner at the back of the pub, you see _them _walk through the door with a stupid carefree smile plastered on _their _stupid fucking faces. Oh how you long to knock it off _both _of their faces. '_If only.' _You think, '_If only.'_ You watch them sit in a booth right across from you, cuddling and all that fucking lovey-dovey shit. You grip the glass in your hand so tightly you hand turns deathly white and your knuckles crack. Only months ago that was you, only months ago you were the one walking into _this _bar, with the _same _happy carefree smile on your face and it was only months ago that you had sat in the _very same _booth with _him._ You look at the girl besides _him _and the feelings of anger and betrayal wash over you in destructive waves.

Your _best friend_ she had said to you and you believed her. She had encouraged you to go out with _him_ helped even. Now, now you see _her _for what she's really worth. A selfish, cunning, manipulative bitch. It had happened so many times before you had thought that maybe this time it was real, that he wasn't going to leave you for your best friend like the rest did but alas it happened.

You had recently moved into a nice small house with _him_. You had a long day at work and expected to come home to a nice meal and warm affection. No instead you come home to find _them,_ fucking in _your _bed, whispering_ their love _for each other and then it's _your _heart that's breaking all over again. You had stood there for ten minutes, _TEN_ minutes before they noticed you. Then the fucking pathetic excuses started. "Oh baby I'm so sorry', 'it's not what it looks like Mia honestly!', 'I never meant for it to happen baby! You have to believe me!'

You turned on your heel and strode out of the place but not before packing your stuff into an expanded bag. You never looked back; you never cried over him, you never cried from the agony of the betrayal, you never _ever _let yourself feel sorry for you because even though you tried to avoid it; you know it's your fault for believing everything was fine, that nothing like that would happen because you _trusted _ those fucking motherfuckers.

And so sitting here in this bar watching them you remind yourself of the valuable lesson you learnt that day. Don't trust anybody, _ever. _

"Hermione."

You freeze as you hear your name but as you see the persons' face you relax. It's Harry, the one person left on this earth that you have any faith in. Because he _never _let you down, he _never_ left you for your best friend, he _never_ broke you heart. Your best friend, your brother and the both of you are left behind trying to pick up the pieces of your broken hearts while you watch the one you loved _so _much live their happily ever after with someone other than you.

He places his hand on your shoulder and you can feel the warmth coming off him, you revel in it but you don't show it. Somehow you have forgotten how to show emotions. But you know he knows that because he feels the exact same way. You place the glass back down on the table and you take a small bit of satisfaction in the little crack on the mouth of the glass. Side by side you walk out of the bar with Harry and into the cold starless night.

You find yourself standing in front of the fire at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, staring into its dancing flames. Long nights of laughter and good times with friends rang in her mind. There was no place for laughter or friends in her life anymore. Harry was the only exception in her mind, because she knows he will never be like everyone else and leave; because he is exactly like her.

"Ready to go Hermione?"

You face him and you take a moment to study your brother in all but blood. Black, shaggy hair that covered his faded scar, haunted emerald eyes with dark bags underneath from many nights without sleep, pale skin, a thin frame that was slightly slumped in defeat and you know that you must look the same but with your own differences. Dull ringlets that hung to your waist, the _brown_ eyes that have that same haunted look with the dark bags underneath, that same deathly pale skin, that thin frame that was slightly slumped in defeat because you haven't won that game of life.

He holds out his hand and you take it squeezing it slightly, trying to show affection the only way you can right now.

Yes you're ready to leave. You're ready to leave this fucking hell hole behind with its painful memories, war stained atmosphere and the weight of the dead on your shoulders. Your friends, your _real _friends are gone, dead or hiding. Your family is _dead_, killed by those animals in black cloaks and white masks. You have nothing but Harry left to live for as he has nothing left to live for but you.

That twisted sensation of apparition in your gut squeezes you into a tube, restricting your breathing only lasts for a moment before you land on cold, hard ground.

There's a house in front of you. It's small, quaint and looks cosy, just enough for you and Harry. You're surrounded by forest and the rain is coming down hard but you don't care, it's been so long since you cared about the rain or anything really. Harry pulls you inside and sits you down in on a spare couch and conjures a blanket that he wraps around you. You feel slightly warm but you know on the inside you cold, dead and numb.

It takes a few weeks before the house is fully furnished and decorated. You found great solace in painting the walls with Harry muggle style. The place you live in now is called La Push, Washington, America.

You don't want to venture outside but you do, for Harry because he wants you too. You're here to start a new life, to turn over a new leaf but it's so hard to move past the pain.

Now you are walking down First Beach, holding Harry's hand because you like to, you want to feel another hand in yours, to know that you're not alone. It's a cold, rainy day but it always rains here, the only thing that reminds you of England. Harry brings an arm around your shoulders and you respond by wrapping your arms around his waist, keeping close to his warmth. You don't show emotions except in those small actions. You don't like touching people or people touching you but Harry is an exception, your exception.

"Don't leave me Hermione."

"Never."

You both know it's the truth because you will _never _leave Harry, not now not ever and not for _anyone_. You don't take into account you might fall in love again someday because you think it's impossible for you to be able to let someone other than Harry in. The fear of getting hurt is just too great. So you're content, for the first time in ten months, to stay with Harry.

For the first time in ten months you let a smile cross your face, a small one but a smile nonetheless and you hug Harry even tighter. Surprised, he sees your smile and he reciprocates. You think that it's good to see him smile after all that pain. He holds you tighter as you continue to walk down the beach. And you think maybe it's time to try harder if it's worth seeing the smile on his face and maybe, just maybe you could try to fix yourself.

'Maybe.'

It's Jacob that finds you within yourself and he slowly manages to bring you out of your shell with warm smiles and patience that even astounds you. He tells you all about himself including the pack and he tells you that you're his imprint, his soul mate. It takes time to get used to the fact that you're somebody's soul mate but after a while you accept it. You tell him everything about you and all of your problems. He accepts you for who you are and it feels nice to have someone who loves you faults and all.

You're still cautious about your heart because it stills aches painfully sometimes but it's starting to slowly recede and it's all because of Jacob. You can't see yourself living a life without Jacob because he makes you smile, he makes you laugh and he makes you feel special like no one else could.

You don't forget Harry and you make sure you spend your days equally dividing your time between Harry and Jacob. Jacob knows that Harry will come first and that you love him because you have spent half your life with him by your side. And you smile at him gratefully, thanking God that you have someone who is willing to be that patient with you, which understands.

Harry eventually finds solace in Leah, Jacob's Beta and you can see she has gone through that same heartbreak; you can see she's fixing him and she immediately becomes your new best friend. You _know _Leash won't betray you like _Ginny Weasley _did because she understands that betrayal but more importantly it's because she understands _you_.

In the end it's you and three other people who had their hearts ripped out of their chests slowly mending each other and taking on the world.

Harry and Leah.

Hermione and Jacob.

When Jacob proposes you say yes because you are ready to move and start a new life, a better life with him. And on the night of your wedding you take a deep breath and say those words, those three little words that have an almighty meaning.

"I love you."

And Jacob's smile is worth the nervous breakdowns and the long agony filled wait.

At Harry and Leah's wedding you are the maid of honour and Jake is the best man. As you are standing besides Leah at the altar as she recites her wedding vows to your best friend/brother; you look down into the audience and see you three month old son, sitting on his grandfathers' lap in the wheelchair. Saul Black born on his parents' first wedding anniversary three months ago is your pride and joy, your baby boy and you know he will always bring a smile to your face just like his father.

Now ten years since Harry and Leah married you sit with your husband, your best friend/brother and your best girlfriend/sister on the sand of First Beach, where this whole thing started. You watch your children and your best friends' children run around after each other laughing.

You remember all those years ago in that small house in England, you and Harry preparing for a new life away from that pain and desolation. You remember that conversation and those thoughts that were running through your exhausted brain.

'You haven't won that game of life.'

You honestly believed that with all that was left with your broken heart.

'No.'

Now it's different. You faced your pain with Jake, Harry and Leah by your side and you conquered it. You won, you outplayed that game.

You won the Game of Life.

'I beat it.' You think. 'I won the Game of Life.'

And so you did.


End file.
